What If The Way To Stop An Ebola Pandemic Is So Obvious, We Just Didn't See It?

Remember a couple of months ago when Ebola cases in West Africa started popping up in your news feed? What we couldn’t bring ourselves to do then is exactly what we need to get serious about now.

I know it’s popular to panic and say “Shut it down! Shut it all down!” when it comes to air travel. But insulating ourselves won’t stop the spread of Ebola. Fellow Americans, we have to own up to it — most of us simply didn’t pay that much attention when Ebola was “just a West Africa problem.” But now it has our attention, and we have to be smart about it. This may not be the popular sentiment, but the only reliable way to prevent the spread of Ebola is by quelling it at its epicenter. That means putting our resources to work where they can make the most difference. That means you and I caring about what happens with this disease overseas, supporting U.S. money and help being directed to West African Ebola treatment, and worrying a little less about wearing our full-body latex to the airport. Are you ready now?

Here’s what’s been happening on the front lines.

[&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href=”//storify.com/theIRC/ebola-crisis-response-in-west-africa” target=”_blank”&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;View the story “#Ebola crisis response in West Africa” on Storify&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;]